Thermal imaging cameras help in smoke-filled areas.
Decreased visibility in smoke-filled areas is dangerous for firefighters. With the aid of a thermal imaging camera (TIC), firefighters can do their jobs more efficiently and safely. Cameras are either hand-held or helmet-mounted. They work by sensing infrared heat and translating data into an image. Thermal imaging is useful in many ways, and new applications are being found as firefighters increase special training with the TICs.
Surveying Fire Conditions
Firefighters use cameras to assess a fire before personnel enter the scene. They can locate hot spots, find obstacles and escape routes, and help to decide on a strategy--like which walls to break open or direct fire hoses. While fighting the fire, the camera helps firefighters navigate through the burning area and alerts them to newly developed hazards and conditions. After the fire, the camera helps with surveying the area for any hidden smoldering material or undoused hot spots. In wildfires, cameras are used in planes, as well as on the ground, to follow the fire's development, movement and to locate unseen fires.
Finding people and animals
Cameras detect the infrared signature of a person or pet so first responders can locate them, even if victims are overcome with smoke and unable to communicate, or if pets are trapped in closets or under rubble. Firefighters and first responders are tracked within the fire so they can be retrieved if injured or if communication is lost. In wildfires, cameras track firefighters over rough terrain and smoke-filled environments. In automotive fires and vehicle accidents, thermal imaging locates people inside the vehicle and those that have been ejected outside of it.
Stored Materials Fires
Fires can start in containers of stored materials, such as grains, fuels and chemicals. Thermal imaging can target exactly where the fire is and help estimate the likelihood of containing it, as well as tracking movement of the materials and extent of spillage. Emergency responders can also use the camera to scan a facility and recognize possible hazardous material ignition sources that would be missed by normal means, such as electrical shorts inside walls or equipment. In stored grain, pinpointing and removing the smoldering portion saves the rest of the grain as well as the storage facility.
Forensics
When crime or arson is suspected, thermal imaging cameras can take stills and videos of the fire that are admissible as evidence. Data gathered with cameras can identify where the fire started and how it spread, important for interpreting arson.
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